Page 61 of Yesterday I Cared
Once we're cleared to head out, Emmie slides into the backseat of my SUV, immediately pulling Lezak into her lap. I can see her relax slightly. On our way, I pull into the first open drive-thru I see, getting us all at least something to eat.
“Are they calling my brother?” Emmie’s voice is quiet, subdued in a way I’ve never heard before.
I miss the sassy, defiant kid I’d come to know.
“They’re trying to.” I look in the rearview mirror, hoping to catch a glimpse of her eyes, but hers are locked on the world passing us by. “Are you okay with that?”
She nods. “I miss him. I hope he remembers me.”
Fucking hell. I hate her mother.
“He does, Emmie,” Mia pipes up, turning in her seat to face her best she can. Her smile is gentle and comforting. “Trust me, no one could forget you.”
“Mom did.” She shrugs. “All the time.”
“Your mom needs a lot of help, Emmie.” My grip tightens on the steering wheel. “None of that is your fault.”
“What if he makes me move back to Charleston?” I hate that I don’t have those answers for her. Her brother could do that, or he could decide he doesn’t want anything to do with his sibling anymore. I doubt it, but it’s a possibility. “I don’t want to leave Columbia.”
“Don’t worry about that,” I insist. “We’ll get answers soon enough, and we’ll help you however we can.”
Silence falls over the car. I glance at Mia out of the corner of my eye. There are tears running down her cheeks. I don’t want to say anything, especially when I’m pushing back my own, so I reach out to squeeze her knee. She gives me a watery smile, then tangles our hands together.
The last twelve hours have officially changed everything. I’m not sure if it’s for better or worse.
My phone rings almost as soon as I collapse onto the couch. It’s an unknown number, so I quickly answer. “This is Ronan.”
“Hello, Mr. O’Brien.” Penny’s voice rings in my ear. “I was able to get in contact with Emmie’s brother, Liam. As next of kin, he’s been granted full guardianship, effective immediately. I will work on expediting the paperwork to grant him full custody over the child.”
Despite the fact she can’t see me, I find myself nodding along. I’ve heard variations of this exact speech so many times, I could probably give it myself.
“I have him on the other line so we can coordinate a pickup. Do you have any questions for me before I connect the calls?”
“No, ma’am.”
There’s a slight fumbling on her end before a click sounds in my ear. “Mr. Campbell, I have Emmie’s swim coach, Ronan O’Brien, on the line with us.”
“How’s Emmie?” This instant question eases my anxiety slightly. I wish every guardian I’ve been on the phone with prioritized the child the way he is. “No one will tell me anything other than the fact she’s safe.”
“Sheissafe,” I stress. “She’s finally asleep and seems to be handling this all okay, given the circumstances. She was pretty quiet, but I know it took a lot for her to be the one to ask for help.”
He lets out a tired, defeated sigh. “I didn’t even know they were in South Carolina. Last I knew, they were headed to Georgia. They’ve been this close; I could have done something.”
“You’re doing something now.” I’m not sure if the words are a comfort to him or not, but they’re what I’d want to hear if our roles were reversed. “Are you in Columbia?”
“Charleston. I can be there in less than three hours.”
“I understand your urgency to get to her and see she’s okay for yourself, but she’s asleep. It’s almost five o’clock in the morning; she needs rest. Get some of your own and get here later this afternoon.”
“I agree with Mr. O’Brien,” Penny adds. I’d almost forgotten she was even on the line. “She’s in capable hands. He’s done this before.”
“You have?”
“Yes.” More times than I care to count. The kids we work with sometimes have shitty home lives. I step in until other, more stable,arrangements can be made. More often than not, those arrangements meant the child either moved or had to give up swimming, which was always harder to swallow. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that with Emmie. “It’s summer, so the only priority she has right now is swimming. As far as I’m concerned, she’s not expected at regular practice until she’s ready. That gives you some time. My advice to you is to take the morning and come up with a plan, because she’ll have questions.”
“Showing her you have some sort of plan will give her back some of the stability she’s lost,” Penny agrees. Clearly, it’s not her first time doing this either. “Given the fact you haven’t seen one another since she was nine, we should also plan to meet somewhere she’s comfortable.”
“Let’s go to the club,” I offer. “She’s comfortable there and there are distractions she can use while we talk. She can swim or workout. No one else will be there until the evening except for us and her other coaches.”
